TUFF Christmas
by Peachy-Author
Summary: A sweet little Christmas story about Christmas for Dudley and Kitty's family. Chapter story! COMPLETE!
1. Putting Up The Lights

(A/N: Okay, time to start working on "T.U.F.F. Christmas". I can't believe it's already close! Well, I'll get this chapter started!)

It was the day after Thanksgiving in the city of Petropolis. The day after Thanksgiving is better known as "Black Friday" (also known as 'The Event'), and one of the biggest shopping days of the year. I can't help wondering if Dudley, Kitty, and their kids are gonna be out in that mess today. Well, the best way to find out is to head on over to their place and find out what's going on!

At Dudley and Kitty's house, Dudley and Kitty had just finished putting away the breakfast dishes, and Dudley said, "Okay, it's time to get to work."

"And it's time for me to get going." Kitty said as she put on her coat and grabbed her purse.

"Where are you going?" Dudley asked, a little surprised that Kitty was heading out somewhere. He thought she was going to be staying home.

"I'm going to do some Christmas shopping." Kitty replied.

"You're going shopping?! Today of all days?!" Dudley asked, not sounding too happy.

"What's wrong with that?" Kitty asked.

"You know what today is." Dudley said.

"I know it's Black Friday." Kitty said.

"Do you know what people are like on a day like today?" Dudley asked, having heard plenty of horror stories about crazy shoppers on Black Friday on the news. It made him sick to think of his wife being out in that mayhem.

"Yes, but don't worry. I'm capable of handling people who cause trouble." Kitty said.

"You sure?" Dudley asked.

"You've seen how I handle bad guys. Also, I'm pretty sure that if the shoppers know that a T.U.F.F. agent is in their midst, they'll behave themselves." Kitty said.

"Okay, you can go shop. But I'm not happy about it." Dudley said.

"I'll be fine, Dudley. Promise." Kitty said.

"Do you have the kids' wish lists?" Dudley asked.

"In my purse. The kids finished their lists when they got home from school on Tuesday." Kitty said.

"Okay." said Dudley.

"So, what are you and the kids gonna do while I'm shopping?" Kitty asked.

"Well, we're going to put up the lights. I just hope that they all work when I test them so I don't have to run to the store and have the kids witness people fighting over stuff." Dudley said.

"They won't if they know that you're a T.U.F.F. agent." Kitty assured him.

"Oh, right. Well, good luck out there." Dudley said.

"Thanks, Dudley." Kitty said, and she and Dudley gave each other a hug and a kiss.

"Where are the kids?" Kitty asked.

"Probably upstairs, waiting for me to come up there so we can go to the attic and get the lights." Dudley said.

"Kids, get down here!" Kitty called out.

"What is it, Mom?" the kids asked as they hurried downstairs.

"I'm going to go shopping, so I want you to be good for your daddy, okay?" Kitty asked.

"Okay, Mom." the children promised.

Then Kitty gave the kids a hug, and she kissed them good-bye before making her way out to the car. She got in and drove off.

"Okay, let's go to the attic and get the lights." said Dudley.

"Dad, how long is this going to take?" George asked as he and his sisters followed Dudley up the steps that led to the attic.

"Not too long. I never go all-out like some people." Dudley said.

"We're going to put up lights in the usual places?" Molly asked.

"Yup. Around the garage door, the living room windows and front door, and the bedroom windows." Dudley promised as he opened the attic door.

"Okay. But we are gonna check the lights first; right, Dad?" Summer asked.

"Right. And we also need to get a timer so those lights turn on and off when I want them to." Dudley said as he and the kids picked up the boxes containing the Christmas lights.

"Let's go try these out." Dudley said as he and the kids carried the boxes downstairs.

When they got downstairs, Dudley tested the lights in an outlet in the kitchen. To his relief, all the lights lit up. There were probably one or two bulbs out in a couple of sets, but that didn't bother Dudley.

"One or two dead bulbs isn't a big deal. If half were out, or even a whole color, we'd have to get a new set." Dudley said as he and the kids took the lights outside. Then Dudley opened the garage door and took out the ladder, for he would need that when he put the lights around the bedroom windows (all the bedrooms were upstairs).

"Let's do the garage first." Dudley said as he grabbed the staple-gun, which was also in the garage. That would help him get the lights set up around the garage door.

"How can we help?" Summer asked.

"I want you guys to hold the lights in place when I get to the sides. I wanna get the top done first. I can hold those lights in place before stapling." Dudley said.

So the kids watched as Dudley used the staple-gun. It got the lights to stay in place when he let go.

When the top was done, he went to the left side. George held the lights in place while Dudley used the staple-gun. Molly and Summer held the lights on the right side when Dudley was ready to get those in.

"Okay, now to do the living room windows and the front door." Dudley said as he put the staple-gun away.

That part was easy. The kids didn't really need to help out with those lights.

"You guys wouldn't mind holding the ladder steady while I put the lights around the bedroom windows, would you?" Dudley asked.

So George, Molly, and Summer held the ladder still as Dudley worked at getting the lights around the upstairs windows.

When the lights were all up, Dudley connected the lights with extension cords, and plugged them into the timer.

"What time are the lights going to come on, Dad?" George asked.

"Well, they're going to come on when it's dark." Molly answered.

"I've set the timer so that the lights will come on at 6:00 p.m. They will turn off at 11:00 p.m. That should be long enough." Dudley said as he put the ladder away and closed the garage door.

"Should we put the boxes that held the lights back in the attic?" Summer asked.

"Yes. That's where they go, and we won't need to get them back out until the day after Christmas." Dudley replied.

So Dudley and the kids went back inside and put the boxes that held the lights back in the attic.

"What should we do now?" Molly asked.

"We can break out the Christmas movies." Dudley suggested.

So they found the big plastic chest that held the Christmas movies. Some were on VHS, and some were on DVD. They lugged it downstairs and put it in the den.

"Okay, that's done." said George.

"Maybe we should do some more housework and surprise your mom." Dudley said.

So they did just that. They got a lot of work done in a short amount of time.

And I guess that is the end of Chapter 1. We're off to a pretty good start! But stay tuned, for the story is far from over!


	2. Let's Wrap Presents!

(A/N: And now we're already at Chapter 2! Let's find out what else Dudley and the children are up to. Maybe we'll even find out how Kitty's shopping spree is going!)

At one point, Dudley and the kids decided to stop for lunch, so they ate some leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner.

After Dudley finished his lunch, he was worried about Kitty, so he gave her a call.

"What's up, Dudley?" Kitty asked as she answered her cell phone.

"How did you know it was me?" Dudley asked.

"Your name popped up on the caller ID." Kitty pointed out.

"Oh, right. Well, we got a lot of work done. How are things on your end?" Dudley asked.

"The shoppers have been on their best behavior. Perhaps having a T.U.F.F. agent in their midst helps with that." Kitty said.

"That could be it. Maybe they have the feeling that you're on-duty, and they don't wanna get on your bad side." Dudley said.

"Exactly. But even though I'm not really working today, what the shoppers don't know won't hurt them." Kitty replied.

"I like the way you think." Dudley said. He could almost hear Kitty smiling on the other end when he said that.

"Before I forget, how are the kids? Have they been helping you?" Kitty asked.

"Yes. They've been on their best behavior, much like the shoppers you've encountered today." Dudley replied.

"Good to hear!" Kitty said.

"I think the kids are just about done with their lunch, so it's gonna be time to get back to work." Dudley said.

"Alright. I'll call when I'm coming home." Kitty said.

"Okay." said Dudley.

Then they hung up, and Dudley and the kids got back to work.

Before long, there really wasn't that much else for them to do, so Dudley decided it'd be a good time to play some video games. He went to the den and started playing "Super Mario World" on the Super Nintendo Classic Edition.

It seemed like he'd been playing for only a short time when he heard the door open, followed by Kitty's voice calling, "Dudley! Kids! I'm home!"

"Mom!" the kids yelled, running to the living room to greet their mom.

"Kitty!" Dudley yelled, turning off the game and the T.V. before running out to the living room to see his wife, who was busy hugging the kids.

After Kitty got done greeting her children, she and Dudley shared a kiss.

"No fights broke out?" Dudley asked.

"No one got into a fight." Kitty told him.

"I believe you." Dudley said. Then he asked, "So, did you get anything for me?"

"No. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." Kitty said. But then she turned to the kids and whispered, "I did find some stuff for your daddy. It's well-hidden in the car, but don't tell him."

The kids nodded.

"What did your mommy tell you?" Dudley asked.

"Nothing." the kids replied.

"Don't worry about it, Dudley. Right now, I'm going to need your help." Kitty asked.

"With what?" Dudley asked.

"Wrapping presents for the kids." Kitty whispered.

"Not in front of them." Dudley said.

"I know what to do." Kitty said. She turned to the kids and said, "Alright. You 3 are grounded from the living room until further notice."

"We're _what_?!" George asked, shocked.

"You're _grounding_ us?!" Molly asked, also shocked.

"But we weren't being bad! Didn't Daddy tell you we were good?" Summer wailed, clearly upset.

"Kids, I know you behaved, and I'm proud of you, but I'm saying that you have to stay out of the living room for a while." Kitty said.

"How come?" the kids asked, not so upset anymore.

"We're going to be wrapping presents, and they just might be for the three of you." Dudley told them.

"What if we promise not to look while you're wrapping them? You said that the first time you beat the main boss in "Super Mario Bros. 2", you didn't even see him." George tried. (A/N: Dudley's feat was something my own dad did when he won the game for the first time.)

"Yeah, if you can beat that guy without seeing him, we won't look while you and Mom wrap presents for us!" said Molly.

"Promise!" added Summer.

"Nice try. How about you kids go to the den and play video games?" Dudley said.

"Okay!" said the kids, and they ran back to the den to play Nintendo.

"You knew what their plan was?" Kitty asked as she and Dudley went out to the car.

"Yeah. I tried that trick with Mom when I was their age, but Mom didn't buy it. I'm not falling for something I tried to pull when I was a kid." Dudley said.

"You really have matured, Dudley. I'm very proud of you." Kitty said as she opened the trunk and got out the bags containing presents for everyone but Dudley. She set the bags on the ground so she could close the trunk, but Dudley picked up half of the bags.

"I'd been trying to mature ever since we confessed our love." Dudley said.

"And you've done a great job since then." Kitty smiled.

By then, they made it into the house, and Kitty ran to get the wrapping paper, scissors, tape, 'to-&-from' tags, and bows.

"Let's get started." Dudley said, removing the presents from the bags.

As they worked, they talked about Christmases past, when the kids were a lot younger.

"Remember how it was before they knew what they wanted?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah. But we found stuff that made them happy." Dudley said.

"I know that it seems easy enough since they're still kids and want toys and video games, but I wonder what it's gonna be like when they get older and start asking for stuff that's not that easy to obtain." Kitty said.

"We'll worry about that when the time comes." Dudley said, adding a bow to a wrapped present.

The kids, meanwhile, kept themselves entertained by playing mini-games from "Mario Party 3". They were having fun, but they couldn't help wondering if the presents really were for them.

"You think Mom got us the things on our lists?" George asked as he selected another mini-game.

"Probably. Maybe she even found things that were off-list, but she had an idea that we'd like 'em." Molly said as she got ready to play the game.

"I think we should stop talking about it and focus on the mini-game we're playing. If we don't, we'll lose." Summer said.

So the kids dropped the subject of presents and concentrated on the mini-game they were playing instead.

By the time Dudley and Kitty finished wrapping the presents, it was dark out, and the Christmas lights were on.

"We probably should have waited to do this until we put up the tree and hung the stockings." Dudley said.

"We'll do that tomorrow." Kitty promised as she took the empty bags and put them away to be recycled. No way did she want the kids to see where she'd been shopping.

"Okay, kids, you can come out now!" Dudley called.

"Finally!" George said as he and his sisters turned off the game and wound up the controllers.

"We were starting to wonder how long we'd have to wait until..." Molly started, but she trailed off when she saw the presents, and she and her siblings yelled out, "Whoa, baby!"

"Those are for us?" Summer asked.

"Maybe..." Kitty said, exchanging a knowing smile with Dudley.

"Shouldn't we have put up the tree and hung the stockings first?" George asked.

"I already asked your mother about that. She says we'll do it tomorrow." Dudley said.

"Okay, then. So, we're having more leftovers for dinner?" Molly asked.

"Yup. Help yourselves." Kitty said as she fixed herself a plate of leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner.

After they finished their food, Dudley said, "How about a Christmas movie?"

"Did you get them down from the attic?" Kitty asked.

"The chest is in the den." Dudley replied.

"Okay. Let's see what we've got." Kitty said. Within a few minutes, they decided on watching "The Story of The Nativity", since that's what Christmas was about.

When it was over, they got ready for bed and went to sleep, feeling very happy that Christmas was on its way.

And they're going to get more work done in Chapter 3! Stay tuned if you wish to read more of this re-write!


	3. More Decorating

(A/N: Okay, we have made it to Chapter 3! If I get this chapter started, you won't have to be kept in suspense!)

It was Saturday morning in the city of Petropolis. The weather had gotten colder than it had been, but it hadn't snowed yet. The snow usually didn't fall until the first of December, and that wasn't until Monday. Anyways, let's head on over to Dudley and Kitty's house and see what's up!

At Dudley and Kitty's house, Dudley awoke to find that it was kinda cold in the house. After forcing himself to get out of bed, he put on his robe and went downstairs to turn on the heat. In a matter of minutes, the house was nice and warm.

"Thanks for turning on the heat, Dudley." Kitty said as she and Dudley got dressed for the day.

"I had to, Kitty. We're also going to have to use our electric blankets from now on, since the cold weather is returning." Dudley said.

"I might have guessed." Kitty said as she and Dudley started making their bed.

After they made their bed, they made their way downstairs to start fixing breakfast for the kids, who had gotten out of bed once the house warmed up.

When the kids came down for breakfast, they were happy to see their parents preparing French toast.

"Did you guys sleep well last night?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah. I fell asleep watching the Christmas lights around my window blinking on and off." George said.

"Us, too." Molly said as she and her siblings went to the fridge to get themselves some juice to drink.

"So, we're going to put up the Christmas tree today?" Summer asked.

"Yes. We're going to do that right after breakfast." Kitty promised.

"YAY!" the kids cheered, happy to be putting up the tree.

"We're also going to hang the stockings, too. Some of the presents we wrapped are small enough to go in them." Dudley pointed out.

"Again, we'll do that after breakfast." Kitty said.

Even though the kids really wanted to put up the tree, they ate their breakfasts slowly, 'cause Kitty told them that wolfing down their food was not a good idea.

But when breakfast was done, the family quickly washed the dishes, dried them, and put them away before heading on up to the attic.

"Okay, here we go." Dudley said as he lifted one end of the box containing their 7-ft. tall artificial Christmas tree, and Kitty lifted the other end. George took the box that held the Christmas lights, Molly took the box containing the garland, and Summer grabbed the box that held the stockings. The ornaments were in different boxes, but everyone else would be heading back up to get those once everything else was downstairs.

Then the family raced back up to the attic to get the ornaments. After setting the boxes down, Dudley opened the tree box and got the tree stand set up while Kitty and the kids hung the stockings.

"Could you guys give me a hand here?" Dudley asked.

"You need the branches with blue on the handles first, right, Dad?" George asked.

"Yup. Hand me those, and I'll put them in place." Dudley said.

"I'll help, too." Kitty smiled as she joined Dudley by the tree stand.

When all the branches with blue on the handles were put in place, Dudley and Kitty asked for a new color. And before they knew it, it was time to put the top of the tree into place. And they did.

"Now we need to add the lights. But we have to test them first." Dudley said as he plugged the lights in. To everyone's relief, they all lit up.

"Okay, the lights can go on!" said Summer.

So the family added the lights to the tree. Once the lights were in place, Dudley turned them on, and it made the tree look nice.

"Now the garland." said Molly.

"The tree looks really good now." Kitty smiled as she and Dudley added the garland.

"It'll look even better once we add the ornaments." Dudley said.

"Actually, I think the tree looks best when there's lots of presents under it." Molly said.

"Yeah, that makes the Christmas tree look happy." said Summer.

"I agree." George said.

Now it was time to add the ornaments. The family had lots of nice ornaments to put on the tree, including the kids' first Christmas ornaments, and the one from Dudley and Kitty's first Christmas as a married couple. They even added candy canes. Kitty found some Oreo candy canes while she was shopping the other day, and she bought a box of those to put on the tree. (A/N: I saw boxes of those candy canes at Wal-Mart once. Now if only they'd bring back the bubblegum-flavored ones...)

"I think the tree is ready now." Dudley said. "Not yet." said Kitty.

"What didn't we do, Mom?" Summer asked.

"We have to put the skirt under the tree." Kitty said as she produced the skirt, which was in the box with the stockings. The kids helped her straighten it out as she put it under the tree.

"So now it should be ready." said Molly.

"Nope. There's still something else missing." Dudley said.

"Yeah, we are missing something else." Kitty said, knowing what it was.

"Okay. What else did we forget?" George asked.

"We have to put the angel on top of the tree." Kitty said, producing the box that held the angel. It had also been in the box with the stockings.

"That's right. The angel hasn't been put on yet." Dudley said.

Kitty took the angel out of its box and handed it to Dudley, who said to the decoration, "Alright, lady! You are going to go on top of that tree, and you are going to like it!"

"Dudley, that angel is an inanimate object. She can't really reply to you." Kitty said, but the kids were giggling. They thought their dad yelling at the angel was kind of funny.

"Hey! Don't you take that tone of voice with me! What was that? Oh, have I got news for you! I don't care whether or not you want to do this! Your purpose is to sit at the top of that tree, so you'd better get used to the ideaaaaaaaa!" Dudley yelled as he pretended that the angel was actually dragging him around the room! Surprisingly, he avoided running into the walls or the tree.

After a minute or so, he finally maintained control of the angel and got it on top of the tree.

"There! You're finally on top of the tree where you belong! Now deal with it!" Dudley said.

The kids were laughing like crazy over their dad's act, and even Kitty couldn't help chuckling in amusement at her husband's antics.

"Very funny, Dudley." Kitty said to her husband.

"I see nothing funny about what that angel did. But now it is funny, 'cause she has to sit with the top of the tree shoved up her butt until further notice." Dudley replied.

That got the kids laughing all over again.

"You really know how to make the kids happy." Kitty said.

"That's why I did what I did. I knew it would make them laugh." Dudley replied, smiling at his children.

Once the kids recovered, they helped their parents move the presents under the tree, and the small ones went into the stockings.

Then Dudley, Kitty, and their youngsters sat down to admire the tree. But after a minute...

"Dad, can we have the lights do something other than just stay steady on?" George asked.

"I don't see why not." Dudley said as he got up and picked up the controller for the lights. He asked, "What setting do you guys want?"

"I want to see 'Twinkle/Flash'." George said.

"But I wanna see 'In Waves'." Molly said.

"Let's have them do 'Sequential'." Summer said.

"If you guys don't agree on a setting, I'll turn the lights off." Dudley threatened.

That didn't help, for the kids all shouted the name of the function they wanted to see the lights do, and they broke into an argument.

"QUIET!" Kitty suddenly shouted.

The kids immediately stopped yelling as Kitty walked over to Dudley, who was still holding the controller.

"I'll handle this." Kitty said as she took the controller from her husband and put the lights on a different setting.

"What setting is this?" Dudley asked.

"It's 'Combination'. It's got everything you guys wanted, and then some." Kitty said.

"Cool!" said the kids, and they went back to admiring the tree.

"Smart move, Kitty." Dudley said as he and Kitty sat back down.

"I didn't want the kids to argue themselves onto the Naughty List." Kitty said as she and Dudley snuggled close to one another while admiring the tree again.

And that isn't the only tree they'll be admiring. They'll get to do even more decorating in Chapter 4, so stay tuned!


	4. Decorating Is TUFF

(A/N: Okay, you'll all remember this chapter as "Decorating Is T.U.F.F.", which went on to become its own chapter in the story at one point. Let's see what I can do here.)

It was December 1st in the city of Petropolis. It had snowed overnight, and now the city started to look like a winter wonderland. But the kids didn't get to enjoy it for too long, 'cause they had to go back to school. And the T.U.F.F. agents had to go back to work. Say, let's head on over to T.U.F.F. and see what Dudley and Kitty are up to.

We find Dudley and Kitty at work, wondering what's going to happen today. If the Chief doesn't have any intel, perhaps they can decorate H.Q.

Soon enough, the Chief said, "Agents, I have no intel, so let's spend the day decorating T.U.F.F. H.Q. for Christmas!"

"YAY!" the agents cheered. They all ran to the door that led to the basement, where all the decorations were. But as soon as they opened the door, they gasped in horror and slammed it shut!

"What's going on here?!" the Chief asked, unhappy.

"The basement is full of cockroaches!" Kitty exclaimed.

"I'd go down there and kill them myself, but there's too many to kill!" Dudley said.

"Can't we get the Chameleon and his daughter over here to take care of the problem? They eat bugs, don't they?" the Chief asked. (A/N: In "Chameleon's Change Of Heart", I gave him a daughter to take away his loneliness and give him a relative who doesn't hate him. It got him to reform.)

"Chief, there's too many roaches down there! They'd never be able to eat them all!" Katrina said.

"Yeah, Chief. It's not a pretty sight." Bruce said.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Just how many cockroaches are down there?!" the Chief asked, frustrated.

"More than you can shake a stick at." the agents replied.

"I was afraid of that." the Chief said.

"Actually, we have a s-s-solution to the bug problem." Keswick said.

Everyone turned their attention to Keswick and his wife, Claire.

"We'll get rid of the cockroaches with... this!" Claire said, producing an object from the pocket of her lab coat. The object was a white sphere that was roughly the size of a baseball.

"What is that thing?" the Chief asked.

"This is a bug-bomb we invented. If we throw it in the b-b-basement, our bug problem will be over before you can say 'Deck The Halls'." Keswick said.

"Have you tested that thing?" the Chief asked.

"Yes. We tried one at Keswick's sister's house. She had a bug problem in her bathroom. We threw the bug-bomb in there, and a few minutes later, the bugs were dead, and the bomb sucked them in like a vacuum cleaner. After that, we threw away the dead bugs." Claire said.

"Well, okay. Go ahead." the Chief said.

"BOMBS AWAY!" Keswick yelled as he opened the basement door and threw the bug-bomb in. Then he quickly closed the door so no roaches could escape their impending doom.

A few minutes later, when Keswick opened the door again, the roaches were gone.

"Wow, that thing really did work." the Chief said.

"We told you." Claire smiled as she picked up the bomb and handed it to Keswick, who threw out the dead roaches that had disappeared into it.

"Okay, agents. Now get the decorations out of the basement, and we'll get this place ready for Christmas!" said the Chief.

So everyone went down to the basement and got the decorations. A few of the unimportant agents all went outside to put up the lights, but Dudley, Kitty, Bruce, Katrina, Keswick, and Claire all got to decorate the main room of T.U.F.F. H.Q. The rest of the agents decorated other rooms in the agency.

Almost immediately, there was a problem. The agents who were putting up the lights all tested the lights to find that a lot of the bulbs were shot.

"Keswick, Claire, can you two do something about the lights?" the Chief asked.

"I wish we could, but f-f-fixing the lights is beyond our abilities." Keswick said.

"Yeah, it's not something we can do." Claire said.

"Okay, then. So we're going to have to get some new lights." the Chief said. One of the agents went to the store to get some new lights. When the agent returned, everyone tested the lights, and they all worked perfectly.

So the agents who were supposed to put up the lights finally went to work. Everyone else continued to decorate.

By lunchtime, the six main agents were ready to put up the tree. They decided they'd get back to work after they finished lunch.

Dudley was the first one done, so he went to put up the tree. He was just about done setting it up when he wondered if the others were watching him.

"Let's see..." Dudley said to himself. He picked up the top of the tree, and folded all the branches up. Then he slowly started sneaking out of the room with the top of the tree in front of his face. Sure enough, everyone in the room burst out laughing. They had been watching him.

Dudley laughed too as he fixed the branches and put the top of the tree in place.

"Dudley, why did you do that?" Kitty asked as she and the others went to help him decorate the tree, now that they had finished lunch.

"I started to wonder if anyone was watching me, so I thought I'd find out." Dudley replied.

"Well, you did a good job! It was funny!" Bruce said as he and Katrina tested the lights, which worked.

"Sure was." Katrina smiled.

"Thanks." Dudley said.

After they got the lights on the tree, Dudley wanted to turn them on. So they did. But that's when they noticed a problem.

"Hey, that isn't right." Bruce said.

"A color is out!" Katrina said.

It was true. One of the four colors on that string of lights did not work. All the bulbs of that color were out.

"That looks tacky." Kitty said, and she shut off the lights.

Dudley immediately turned the lights back on, but then they discovered that the problem had worsened. Another color had gone out!

"Oh great! Now look!" Katrina said.

"Chief! The tree's lights are giving us trouble!" the agents yelled.

The Chief came out of his office on his monitor system, and he was not amused when he saw what they meant.

"Boy, does that look stupid. Take those lights off and get some new ones!" the Chief said.

So Bruce and Katrina went to the store and got some new lights. The new lights worked just fine, and they even played music.

"Wow! Musical lights!" Dudley said as they put the new lights on the tree.

"It's been a while since I've seen or heard musical lights!" Kitty said.

"I know." Katrina said.

"You should come to our place. The lights on our tree are musical, and the kids love it." Claire said.

"They sure do." Keswick said.

Then the lights were on the tree. So now it was time for them to put the garland on the tree.

"Why haven't we ever done a popcorn garland?" Claire asked as they pulled out the garland.

"Because Dudley would eat all the p-p-popcorn before we could string it." Keswick answered.

"I never did!" Dudley said.

"We know. But you would." Keswick said.

"No, I wouldn't. I'd eat the popcorn that was left." Dudley said.

"Suppose there wasn't any left?" Bruce asked.

"Then I'd suck it up." Dudley said.

"The popcorn garland?" Katrina asked, confused.

"No, I'd suck it up and leave it alone." Dudley said.

"Look, we didn't do popcorn garlands even before Dudley joined T.U.F.F. Let's just put the garland on the tree now." Kitty said. So they all did.

"Okay, now we can add the ornaments." said Claire.

The agents all got out the ornaments and started putting them on the tree, along with some candy canes. Some of those candy canes were hot chocolate-flavored.

"Kitty, can I have one of these candy canes for dessert?" Dudley asked his wife, holding one of the hot chocolate-flavored treats.

"You may have one. The rest go on the tree." Kitty said.

"Yay!" Dudley said, and he started enjoying the candy cane.

Before long, the ornaments were all on the tree.

"And now, it's time to put the star on top." Kitty said, and she put the star at the top of the tree.

Then they all stood back to admire the tree. It really did look nice.

"Wait a second. Something isn't r-r-right." Keswick said.

"What do you mean?" Dudley asked.

"I see what he means. It looks like the tree is moving." Claire said.

"It is. In fact, it looks like it's gonna fall... in our direction!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Uh-oh! GANGWAY!" the agents yelled as they got out of the way. The tree hit the floor with a mighty _**CRASH**_!

At the sound, the Chief came out of his office again, and he was not at all happy when he saw the tree lying on the floor.

"You T.U.F.F. agents care to explain what happened?" the Chief asked.

Next thing he knew, the six agents that worked on the tree started yammering about how they didn't do it. They were saying things like, "We swear we didn't do it! It just fell on its own! Please don't fire us!"

"I'm not going to fire you! I would only do that if you were bad agents! But I might fire you if you don't go replace the stuff that's broken. Though you might wanna get that swept up first." the Chief said.

So after sweeping up the broken glass and all the stuff from the fallen tree, they took the old tree apart and threw it all in the T.U.F.F. dumpster. Then they went to the store and bought a new tree and new decorations for it.

When they got the new tree set up and decorated, the tree stayed up.

"Okay, that looks a lot better now." said Dudley as he and the others admired the tree.

But they didn't get to spend much time admiring the tree. They had more decorating to do.

By closing time that day, everyone felt exhausted after all the decorating they did.

However, they had a new problem. The agents who put up the lights outside complained that the Christmas lights were not working.

"NOT AGAIN!" the Chief exclaimed.

This time, Keswick and Claire went to go find out what was wrong. It turned out that they forgot about using a timer for the lights, so Keswick and Claire got the timer and set it. Now the lights would turn on and off when they were supposed to.

After that, the agents were able to head home and rest after a long day of decorating T.U.F.F.

But the story still isn't done yet! We've still got more to come, and you have to stay tuned to read more!


	5. Let's Go Shopping!

(A/N: Now we have made it all the way to Chapter 5! If I start this chapter right now, we'll find out what happens a lot quicker!)

It was Friday night during the 2nd week in December. The kids would have only one more week of school left before Christmas break. Say, I wonder what Dudley and Kitty are up to on a night like tonight! Let's head on over to their house and find out!

The family had put on their pajamas a short time ago, and now they sat in the living room, watching a Christmas special on DVD, and they were enjoying cups of cocoa and some Christmas cookies Kitty had baked last weekend.

As they watched the special, Dudley casually glanced over at the calendar on the wall. It showed that tomorrow would be the 2nd Saturday of the month, and that usually meant one thing.

"Hey, Kitty, tomorrow's Saturday." Dudley pointed out to his wife.

"I know, Dudley." Kitty said.

"The 2nd Saturday. You know what that means." Dudley reminded her.

"I do." Kitty said. She then got the kids' attention by saying, "Kids, how would you like to go Christmas shopping at the mall tomorrow?"

The kids were more than surprised, and they asked, "Can we?!" They really wanted to go, since they hadn't really gotten to do any real shopping this month.

"Of course. Tomorrow's the major Christmas shopping day for us!" Dudley said.

"Yaaaaaay!" the kids cheered. They were so looking forward to that day.

After the special, Kitty said, "Okay, let's all get to bed."

"But Mom, we can't sleep now!" George said.

"Yeah! We're too excited!" Summer added.

"There's no way we're going to be sleeping tonight!" Molly said.

"If I were you, I would be okay with going to bed and getting some sleep. The sooner you go to bed, the sooner morning will get here, and then we can go Christmas shopping." Dudley told the kids.

Before Kitty knew it, the kids went upstairs to brush their teeth and go to bed, and by the time Dudley and Kitty got upstairs, the kids were in their beds, fast asleep.

"Where did that come from?" Kitty asked.

"Mom used that one on me and Bruce when we were kids. I thought it might work on our kids, and it did." Dudley said.

"Nice." Kitty said as she and Dudley went to bed.

The next morning, Dudley and Kitty awoke bright and early. They quickly got dressed and made their bed, and then they went to check on the kids. Surprisingly, they were still asleep.

"That's odd. I thought they'd be up by now." Kitty said, confused.

"Keep their doors open. I've got an idea." Dudley said to Kitty.

So Kitty left the doors open, and Dudley pulled out a harmonica.

"What are you going to do?" Kitty asked.

"Watch and learn." Dudley replied.

He began playing "Jingle Bells" on the harmonica. The kids heard it and leaped out of bed. They started to get ready for the day.

"Way to motivate 'em!" Kitty said, impressed as she saw the kids awake and getting ready for the big day ahead of them.

"Thought that would work." Dudley said as he put the harmonica away.

By the time the kids were ready, Dudley and Kitty were busy preparing eggs and toast for the kids to have for breakfast. While the kids ate, Dudley and Kitty fixed their own breakfasts. But before they did...

"Kids, remember not to scarf down your food. You could choke." Kitty reminded the kids.

"We know." the kids replied as they tried to eat their breakfasts slowly.

But it worked, because they were still eating when Dudley and Kitty sat down with their own plates of eggs and toast.

After breakfast, the family donned their winter gear and got in the car. They even grabbed a Christmas CD so they could listen to Christmas music on their way to the mall.

When they got to the mall, Dudley said, "Okay, now who shops with whom?"

"How about you take George, and I'll take the girls until lunchtime." Kitty said.

"Sounds like a plan. When we meet up for lunch, we'll compare notes and switch the kids." Dudley said.

"Okay, then." Kitty said.

"Oh, and don't forget: if you find an ornament you wanna get someone in the family, give it to them right away." Dudley reminded her.

"I know, Dudley." Kitty said.

Then the couple split up. Kitty took Molly and Summer one way, and Dudley and George went another way.

Christmas shopping was easy enough, but they also had to make sure they didn't bump into each other at some stores, 'cause then they'd know what one of them was getting, and then they wouldn't be surprised when Christmas arrived.

They also got ideas for others and themselves. As much as the kids enjoyed searching for presents for their relatives and each other, they also wanted to get presents for their friends. Dudley and Kitty did the same as well.

Before they knew it, the morning was over, and it was time for lunch. Kitty and the girls were feeling pretty hungry, and as they made their way to the food court, Kitty pulled out her cell phone and told Dudley their location.

"We'll be there shortly." Dudley promised. He turned to George and said, "Let's go get these things hidden in the car."

"Right, Dad." said George as he and his dad went out to the car.

When the family met at the food court, one of the first things they did was get something to eat. As they ate, they talked about the things they saw for friends, and some ideas they had for themselves.

Sometimes, the item that one desired was already in the car, hidden safely from sight. At one point, George mentioned something he wanted, but Molly and Summer already got it. They winked at each other quickly, but George didn't even notice.

After lunch, Dudley and Kitty switched, so that George was with Kitty, and Molly and Summer were with Dudley.

"We'll meet up again for dinner." Kitty said before she and Dudley went their separate ways.

So for the next few hours, the family did more shopping, and they got a few more presents to hide in the car. The ones that weren't for anyone in the immediate family were in plain sight in the car.

But then it was time for dinner, and Dudley was the one calling Kitty as he and the girls made their way to the food court.

After having dinner, the family left the mall, got in the car, and went home, exhausted from walking around the mall all day.

When they got home, they took the presents for those not in the immediate family inside, planning to wrap them sometime soon. But not that night, because after they brought the presents in, they put on their pajamas and went right to bed.

The next day, after breakfast, they started wrapping presents for their friends. But when it was time for the football games, Kitty didn't want to watch sports, so she called the kids to her and Dudley's room.

Late last night, when everyone was asleep, she snuck out to the car and got out the things she and the kids bought Dudley. She took them out from under the bed, where she hid them, and then she got out the wrapping supplies. She and the kids wrapped presents for a good part of the first game Dudley watched.

After a few presents were wrapped, the kids took them downstairs and placed them in Dudley's stocking or under the tree.

It didn't take long for Dudley to realize that the kids were wrapping presents with Kitty, and he asked his kids, "You're wrapping presents? Why don't you do that out here?"

"We can't." Molly said.

"I know you all aren't big football fans, but I can help." Dudley said.

"Not with these. Mom snuck out to the car late last night and got your presents out. We're wrapping them right now." George said.

"Okay, then. Maybe I can wrap some presents for your mom. Can I at least borrow some wrapping paper and 'to-&-from' tags? I know where we keep another pair of scissors and some tape. As for the bows, I can put them on after you guys are done wrapping." Dudley said.

"Okay, I'll go ask Mom." Summer said, and after she placed the gifts where they belonged, she went back upstairs to ask her mother if she would give Dudley some wrapping paper and 'to-&-from' tags.

"Sure." Kitty said, handing her daughter a couple of rolls of wrapping paper and tags to give to Dudley.

"Thanks, sweetie." Dudley said as he took the paper and tags from Summer. Then he went out to the car and grabbed the presents for Kitty.

Now the whole family was wrapping presents. Once Dudley and Kitty got the presents for each other wrapped and put in their proper places, Kitty took the wrapping supplies downstairs, and the kids grabbed the presents for those not in the immediate family. The whole family spent the afternoon wrapping presents.

And so ends Chapter 5! However, we still aren't done yet! We have lots more to read about, so stay tuned!


	6. Gifts & Lights

(A/N: Now it's time for Chapter 6! We'll know what our favorite characters are up to once I get this show on the road!)

It was early Saturday afternoon in the city of Petropolis. Christmas vacation for school kids had begun, and that also meant that today was the annual T.U.F.F. Christmas party! Speaking of which, let's see what Dudley and Kitty are up to!

At Dudley and Kitty's house, the couple happened to be in their bedroom, getting ready. Dudley was putting on a tuxedo, and Kitty had put on her green velvet dress and black, low-heel shoes. Around her neck was her gold collar with the silver bell.

Right now, Kitty had gotten dressed, and she began brushing her hair. As she did, she caught sight of Dudley in the mirror. She knew he was looking at her.

"Dudley, you're staring at me as though you've never seen me before. Are you okay?" Kitty asked, curious.

"I'm fine. How did you know I was looking at you?" Dudley asked.

"You do realize I can see you in the mirror, right?" Kitty pointed out.

"Oh yeah. I just couldn't help noticing how pretty you are." Dudley replied.

"You say that a lot." Kitty said as she put the brush down and began applying some light make-up.

"Because it's true. You're very beautiful." Dudley told her.

"Thanks, Dudley." Kitty said. A few minutes later, she finished applying her make-up, and she said, "Okay, let's grab our presents for Keswick and Claire, 'cause we've got a party to attend."

"And where are the kids going to be while we're at the party? Are we taking them to my mom's house, or your mom's?" Dudley asked.

"Actually, I really never thought I'd hear myself say it ever since the first time it happened, but they'll be at Snaptrap's place." Kitty said.

"They're going to exchange gifts at D.O.O.M.?" Dudley asked.

"No, Dudley. Not only did Snaptrap and his men reform, they left his mom's place so she wouldn't torment their kids anymore. They found a place, and Snaptrap's mom knows nothing about it." Kitty explained.

"That's right. All that happened sometime after they got kids." Dudley remembered.

"So I think we're ready, and we'd better make sure the kids are ready to go, too." Kitty said.

Dudley and Kitty walked downstairs and saw the kids standing by the Christmas tree, gathering the gifts meant for their friends.

"I'd say the three of you are ready for a gift exchange." Dudley said.

"We've been ready for hours!" George said.

"Actually, we were ready since yesterday, but it was a school day, and carrying presents for our friends and teachers would not be easy." Summer said.

"Yeah. So we've just gotta put the gifts for our friends in the car and we'll be ready to go!" Molly said.

"Okay. Let's do that." Dudley said. He and Kitty helped the kids get the presents for their friends in the car. Once that was done, Kitty set the presents for Keswick and Claire on her lap while Dudley notified Snaptrap, letting him know they were on their way.

"See you then." Snaptrap said.

A few minutes later, Dudley and Kitty pulled up outside Snaptrap's place. Before Dudley and Kitty even parked the car, the kids were greeted by their pals, Snappy, Melody, Stella, and Murray.

"Hey guys!" Snappy greeted the triplets.

"We're glad you made it! The others are already here!" Murray said.

"Can you help us out?" the triplets asked.

"Sure." said Melody. The D.O.O.M. kids helped their friends bring the gifts into the house.

"Behave yourselves, okay?" Kitty said to the triplets.

"We will." the triplets promised, saluting their mother.

"You didn't have to salute me." Kitty said.

"But we wanted to." said George.

"I guess I can't argue with that." Kitty said as she and Dudley made their way to T.U.F.F.

When they got to T.U.F.F., most everyone was there. The Chief was playing office Santa, and he would be handing out the paychecks with the Christmas bonus to everyone before they left for Christmas vacation.

Dudley and Kitty greeted him before they found Bruce and Katrina sitting at a table near the mistletoe. Keswick and Claire were with them, and they'd exchanged their gifts a few minutes ago.

"Hey!" Dudley called out to the two couples.

Bruce and Katrina snapped to attention when they heard Dudley, and Katrina smiled when she saw Dudley and her sister approaching.

"Merry Christmas!" Katrina called out to Dudley and Kitty as they sat down with their siblings. Then they handed over their presents to Keswick and Claire, who handed them presents in return.

After opening their presents, the couples all talked about Christmas parties in the past.

"Remember, Kitty? We were right there, under the mistletoe." Dudley pointed out the place.

"Yeah, and Jerkbait showed up and ruined the moment. But he more or less got me to confess that I loved you. I hadn't planned on telling you like that, though. Still, we're together now, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Kitty said.

(A/N: That happens in the final chapter of "How It Started".)

"I was happy to see you two end up together. It made my night, though I mostly enjoyed the party because I was with Brucie." Katrina said, turning to her husband with a smile.

"Yeah. You two were made for one another, like me and my baby." Bruce said, pulling Katrina close in a loving fashion.

"Speaking of p-p-people that ended up together..." Keswick said.

"I know what time you're referring to." Claire said as she moved closer to her husband.

"That's right. Keswick proposed to you during one of the Christmas parties." Dudley remembered.

(A/N: The proposal happens in Chapter 14 of "Keswick And Claire".)

"It was my second time attending the party. I was only discovering how I felt about Keswick after the first one." Claire said.

"I'm really glad you two ended up together. After being unlucky in love for the longest time, you finally got lucky by finding each other, and you're happier than I've ever seen you." Kitty said.

"That's true." Keswick said as he wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders.

They spent the rest of the party having fun as they talked about the year that was nearly over, and their hopes for the new year, all the while feasting on Christmas goodies and drinks, and they were also rockin' around the Christmas tree.

Before they knew it, the party was over, and so they went to get their paychecks from the Chief before saying good-bye, and Merry Christmas.

Over at Snaptrap's, Snappy, Melody, Stella, Murray, George, Molly, Summer, Jafar, Ursula, Cruella, Adam, Lisa, and Tyler were all enjoying the presents they got from one another. They'd all had a great time, but they were also looking forward to Christmas, when Santa would bring them presents.

(A/N: I'm sure you're also wondering where Nate and Ariel are since they're not at the gift exchange with their older siblings. They're at their maternal grandparents' mansion right now.)

"Hey, George, didn't you and your sisters get presents for Adam?" Stella asked, having realized that Adam hadn't opened any presents from his cousins.

"We did." George replied.

"Then why didn't you bring them for him to open?" Stella asked.

"Because we'll be seeing him at Christmas. He'll get his presents from us then." Molly said.

"Oh, right." said Stella.

"Yeah, Mom and Dad have been telling us that ever since our first gift exchange." Summer said.

"Okay, that does make a lot of sense." Jafar said.

The kids spent the afternoon enjoying their presents from each other, as well as some Christmas treats that Snaptrap made until their parents' cars came driving up.

Dr. Rabies and Madame Catastrophe were the first ones to arrive. Jafar, Ursula, and Cruella showed their parents the gifts they got from their friends. The couple was glad their kids had a good time, but now it was time for them to go back home, so they helped their kids get their presents into the car, and then they drove home.

Several minutes later, Dudley, Kitty, Bruce, Katrina, Keswick, and Claire all showed up at the same time to get their kids. After hearing that the kids had been on their best behavior, the parents smiled and helped the kids get their presents in the cars before driving home.

However, on their way home, Dudley thought about something. It was starting to get dark out, and they still hadn't done something they usually do in December. Perhaps they could do it tonight?

"Hey, Kitty, I realized something." Dudley said.

"What is it?" Kitty asked.

"We haven't really looked at the decked out houses yet." Dudley replied.

"That's right. We haven't." Kitty said, before adding, "We could do that tonight. But I think maybe we should drop off these presents first."

"Yeah, that might be wise." Dudley said.

The kids didn't hear the conversation, 'cause they were too busy talking about the fun they'd had that afternoon. So as soon as they got home, Dudley said, "After we get the presents inside, get back in the car."

"Why?" asked George.

"Because we've decided to end the day on a happy note." Kitty replied.

"What do you mean?" Summer asked.

"We're going to look at the decked out houses in the neighborhood." Dudley said.

"We are?!" Molly asked.

"Yes." Kitty replied with a smile.

"Yahoo!" the kids cheered, really happy about this.

So once all the presents were in the house, the family got back in the car and went cruisin' around the neighborhood, looking at all the houses that were decked out for the holiday. Bruce and Katrina put up lights, but not many. Keswick and Claire had done a lot of work, but not as much as some places that really went all-out, and they really looked impressive.

But after a while, Dudley and Kitty found that they were kind of hungry.

"Kids, you feeling hungry?" Dudley asked.

"Yes." came the reply from the back.

"How about we stop somewhere and have something to eat. Fast food, maybe?" Dudley said.

"Right now, anything sounds good." Kitty said.

"Fast food it is." said Dudley as he drove to a nearby fast food place and picked up some dinner. Then they went home and ate their dinner. After that, they put on their pajamas before watching a Christmas movie. When the movie was over, they went to bed, feeling very satisfied.

And so ends another chapter of the story! But there's still more to come, so you might wanna stay tuned!


	7. Let's Kill Time

(A/N: Wow, have I really made it all the way to Chapter 7? Let me see what can happen if I get this chapter started!)

It was finally Christmas Eve in the city of Petropolis. Everyone (save for the villains that didn't reform) felt excited, because Santa Claus would come tonight, and they couldn't wait for him to bring their presents. However, the only people I'm thinking about right now are Dudley, Kitty, and their youngsters. Let's go check on them and see what they're up to on this fine day!

At Dudley and Kitty's house, Dudley and Kitty woke up a short time ago, but I don't think they're ready to get out of bed just yet.

"I just wanna lie here for a little while longer and hold you." Dudley said to Kitty as he held her close to him while they laid in bed.

"Who's stopping you?" Kitty asked, happy to be in Dudley's arms. She always felt safe in his embrace.

"Nobody." Dudley said.

The two just started kissing and cuddling when they suddenly heard a knock at the door, followed by 3 voices calling out, "Mom! Dad! Get up!"

"Okay, I guess it's time to get out of bed." Dudley said as he let Kitty go.

"Alright, kids, what's up?" Kitty asked as she and Dudley got out of bed.

"It's Christmas Eve!" the kids said, excitement in their voices.

"Did you guys just say what I think you said?" Dudley asked, hoping he heard that right.

"Yes, Dad! It's Christmas Eve!" came the reply.

"Hi-gee-gee!" Dudley cheered as he chose an outfit from the closet.

"Dudley, I know you and the kids are excited about what today is, but you know that nobody touches the presents under the tree until the Christmas lights come on, right?" Kitty asked as she put on the outfit she'd chosen for the day.

Dudley had been getting dressed as Kitty spoke. He put on his pants, and he was just about to put on his shirt when he realized what Kitty said. Not only was today Christmas Eve, it was one of the longest days of the year!

"Aw man! I almost forgot about that!" Dudley groaned.

"Dudley, you know as well as I do that time flies when you're having fun. If you and the kids have fun today, you can make time fly, and nightfall will be here before you know it." Kitty told him.

"Yeah, but I'll be having the most fun ever at nightfall." Dudley said.

"Then don't think about what nightfall will bring." Kitty suggested, putting on her gold collar with the silver bell.

"My mind doesn't work that way." Dudley reminded her.

"Just try, okay?" Kitty asked.

"Okay, I'll try. For you." Dudley said as he finished getting dressed for the day.

Once they were dressed and ready for the day, Dudley and Kitty went downstairs and made pancakes for breakfast, which made the kids really happy. The kids got finished with breakfast pretty quick, but they stuck around to help their parents clean up after breakfast.

After the dishes were washed, dried, and put away, the family wrapped the last few gifts, but these were for Bruce, Katrina, Adam, Peg, and Mrs. Katswell, who would be coming over tomorrow.

"So, you already got all our presents wrapped?" George asked.

"Yes, the presents for everyone in the immediate family are all wrapped." Kitty said.

"I guess that's why we're all wrapping presents together." Summer said.

"That's exactly why." Dudley said.

"I wonder what we're getting." Molly said as she looked at the gifts under the tree as she placed a wrapped gift under it.

"You'll just have to wait until tonight." Kitty replied.

After the presents were wrapped, it was time for Quacky's show. So they all watched Quacky's show, and because it was Christmas Eve, he was doing a Christmas special. He always did them on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

When Quacky's Christmas special was over, Dudley and Kitty didn't really have much to do. They had taken care of the turkey and stuffing the other day, and they wouldn't be cooking either one until tomorrow.

"So what are we gonna do now?" Dudley asked, pretty bored.

Kitty looked out the window and saw that it was snowing lightly. It looked like playing out there would be fun. She turned to her family and said, "Take a look outside. Maybe we could play outside in the snow?"

Dudley and the kids looked out the window. As soon as the kids saw how magical it looked outside, they ran to get their winter gear, and they quickly got ready to play in the snow.

"How about you, Dudley? You wanna go play outside in the snow?" Kitty asked her husband, noticing that he looked like he wanted to go outside, too.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" Dudley asked as he ran to put on his winter gear.

"I'll take that as a yes." Kitty smiled as she followed him.

Minutes later, the family was outside. Dudley and Kitty were building a snowman, Molly and Summer were making snow angels, and George was making a snowball. In fact, George threw that snowball at the snowman, and it knocked the snowman's head off.

"Hey!" Dudley exclaimed.

"Oops! I was aiming for his hat! Sorry..." said George.

"You did that? Oh, you are going to pay!" Dudley said as he started making a big snowball, but just as he picked it up over his head, George quickly made another snowball and threw it at Dudley, causing him to drop that huge snowball on himself. (A/N: I got that idea from the animated verison of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", when Belle and the Beast were outside in the snow during the song "Something There".)

Kitty thought this was funny, but she stopped laughing when George pitched a snowball at her. So she and Dudley immediately started making snowballs to throw back at George.

"Hey, girls! I could use some help here!" George said as he was being pelted with snowballs, which kinda hindered him from making snowballs to pitch back.

"You shouldn't have done that, George." Molly said.

"I know, but I need some help. I'm outnumbered!" George said.

"Okay, I'll help you." Molly said as she sat up and started making snowballs.

Summer, seeing what her siblings were up to, decided to give them a hand.

Pretty soon, George, Molly, and Summer were throwing snowballs at Dudley and Kitty, and they retaliated by doing the same thing. But they seemed to be having fun, since they were all laughing as they chucked snowballs at each other.

This kept up for a while until Dudley went to the garage and brought out... a snow-blower.

"Dudley, where did you get that?" Kitty asked.

"Keswick and Claire made it for me and gave it to me a few years back, remember?" Dudley asked.

"Okay, I remember now. But I hope you're not planning to use that on our kids!" Kitty said.

"Well..." Dudley started, before Kitty threw a snowball at him.

"Put that thing back in the garage where it belongs!" Kitty said.

"I guess my competitive side got the better of me. Sorry, Kitty." Dudley said as he put the snow-blower back in the garage.

"Perhaps we should go back inside now." Kitty said.

"Good idea, Mom. I'm getting pretty cold." Summer said.

"Yeah, me too." said Molly.

"Can we have some hot cocoa when we go in?" George asked.

"Yes. And you can have marshmallows or whipped cream with your cocoa." Kitty said as Dudley and the kids followed her into the house.

Minutes later, the family gathered around the table in the dining room, drinking hot cocoa with the fixings they liked, and Kitty remembered that she had to put the pumpkin pie in the oven, so she did.

They also had lunch, which happened to be a meat and cheese tray (with crackers). It was very good.

"Okay, now what should we do?" Dudley asked after they finished the tray.

"How about a video game?" Kitty asked.

"Sounds good. Let's play 'Rampage'!" Dudley said.

"No! We are not playing that game today! I don't want the kids seeing it and getting nightmares, especially on a night like tonight!" Kitty said.

"Aw, Mom! It won't scare us." George said.

"I think it will." Kitty said.

"Is it supposed to be scary?" Molly asked.

"I think it's gonna be scary..." Summer said, looking down at her lap.

"It involves monsters that were formerly human but mutated into giant monsters modeled after King Kong and Godzilla. Their objective is to tear down every building in every city in the United States." Dudley explained.

"Well, that's a good way to end up on the Naughty List." Molly said.

"Don't play a game like that! Please!" Summer pleaded, scared.

"Told you." Kitty said to Dudley.

"Okay, what else can you play?" George asked.

"How about we play a round of "Super Mario Bros. 3"? And we do it without warping!" Dudley said.

"That should give me something to do while the pie bakes." Kitty said as they walked to the den, where Dudley turned on the NES Classic Edition and selected the game.

When the timer beeped in the kitchen, Kitty asked one of the kids to take over for her while she checked on the pie, which made the house smell good as it baked.

"I'll do it!" Molly said.

"Here." Kitty said, handing her daughter the controller, allowing her to play.

A minute or so later, Kitty came back.

"How's the pie?" George asked.

"It wasn't done yet. So I put it back in for a few more minutes." Kitty replied as she sat down on the couch.

"Do you want to play again, Mom?" Molly asked, holding the controller out to her mom.

"Not really. You just got started. It wouldn't be nice for me to rob you of some fun. Plus, that timer is going to beep again real soon, so getting back to the game for only a few minutes would be pointless." Kitty said.

"Okay, I'll just keep playing." said Molly.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Kitty went to go check on the pie again. This time, it was ready, so Kitty set it aside to cool.

"Is it done?" Summer asked.

"Yes, it's done." Kitty replied as she sat back down.

"Do you want to play, Mom?" Molly asked, holding out the controller.

"No, I'm good. You can play more." Kitty said.

As the game started to get difficult, Molly wasn't having an easy time winning any levels. She asked George to take over for her.

"I thought you'd hand the controller off to Mom." George said.

"It's okay, George. I had my fun playing the game." Kitty said.

"Summer, do you wanna play?" George asked.

"Not after seeing the trouble Molly was having. I don't like difficult levels. You play." Summer said.

"Okay, then." said George as he took the controller and started playing.

It took several hours, but they finally made it to Bowser, beat him, and won the game.

When Dudley looked at the clock, he was kinda disappointed to see that they still had about two hours left before the lights came on.

"What else can we do?" Dudley asked.

"How about a movie? And I know the perfect one!" Kitty said. She went to their chest of Christmas movies and pulled out the DVD of "White Christmas".

"That is perfect! Let's watch it!" Dudley said.

So Kitty popped it in, and the family watched "White Christmas". Before the movie was over, Dudley got up to fix something for dinner. He grabbed a frozen pizza from the freezer and heated it up for them to have for dinner. They ate their pizza during the final scene of the movie.

Okay, perhaps it'll be time in the next chapter! Stay tuned, and we'll see what we see!


	8. Time For Real Fun!

(A/N: Okay, Dudley and the kids have lasted this long. Will they finally be able to open the presents in this chapter? Let's get it started and find out!)

When the kids glanced out the window, they were glad to see that it was dark, but the lights hadn't come on yet. However, they would be coming on soon enough. By now, the movie was over, and they finished their pizza. Kitty volunteered to wash the pizza pan and put it away while Dudley and the kids went out to the living room.

"But no touching the presents under the tree until I'm out there and the lights are on, got it?" Kitty asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Dudley and the kids said, wondering how much longer they'd be able to stand the wait.

"Okay." said Kitty, and she went to the kitchen to wash the pizza pan. Dudley and the kids looked at the pile of gifts under the tree. They tried looking at the ones that were addressed to other family members, not themselves.

About two minutes later, Kitty came out of the kitchen. She got the pizza pan washed, dried, and put away. Even better, the lights came on!

"Alright, let's get the gifts sorted!" Kitty said, seeing the lights come on through the window.

"Finally!" Dudley sighed in relief.

George, Molly, and Summer immediately started looking over the gifts under the tree. They were checking to see which ones were for members of the immediate family. If they found one addressed to someone in the house, they gave that gift to the person it was for.

Within minutes, everyone had a good-sized pile of gifts sitting before them.

"Okay, let's get started!" George said.

"Wait a minute! We have to decide the order of who goes first!" Summer said.

"It should be me, 'cause I'm the oldest." George said. It was true, he was the first of the triplets to be born.

"No, Mom and Dad are grown-ups, so they're older than you." said Molly.

"Maybe I could go first, since I'm the youngest." Summer suggested.

"I still think I should go first." George said.

"Mom, Dad, we gotta do something or we're going to have a problem!" Molly said.

"Well, Molly, since you didn't suggest that you could go first, you can be the first one to open a present. Then Summer may go, and then George." Dudley said.

"How come I have to go last?" George asked.

"You're not. Mom and Dad are going last, after each of us opens a present." Summer said.

"That's right. Speaking of, we should figure out which of us opens a present after the kids." Kitty said.

"I'd say you should go first, but you'd figure that I was implying 'ladies first', and you'd think it was a trap." Dudley said.

"No, you can go first, Dudley. I insist." Kitty said.

"Okay." Dudley said. He was very good about waiting for his turn after he and Kitty had the kids.

The family spent the next hour opening presents, and the house was filled with screams of delight as the kids ripped the paper to see things they'd asked for.

The kids were happy with the presents they received, which were mostly toys, books, video games, movies, and clothes. But there were still more to come, 'cause Santa would be coming soon.

"So, are you guys enjoying Christmas so far?" Kitty asked the kids.

"Yeah, it's great!" said George.

"We got what we asked for!" Molly said as she hugged a plushie she'd wanted.

"Are you implying that it's going to get better?" Summer asked.

"It should! Santa comes tonight, remember?" Dudley reminded the kids.

At this, the kids' eyes lit up, and they started to sing, "Santa's Comin' Tonight". It didn't take long for Dudley to join in. However, Kitty knew that the night was still young, and it wasn't time for bed yet, so...

"How about we watch another movie?" Kitty suggested.

"What can we watch? Have we missed a movie or a special?" Dudley asked.

"I don't think so..." Kitty said as she looked over the Christmas movies. Then she saw one she remembered showing up as the finale on the Original Television Christmas Classics Sing-Along DVD the kids loved. She did not remember them watching "The Little Drummer Boy". And that song took place during the Nativity.

"How about this one?" Kitty asked, holding up the movie.

"We must have forgotten all about that one! Put it in!" Dudley said.

So Kitty put the movie on, and they all watched "The Little Drummer Boy".

When the movie was over, Dudley and Kitty read their kids the poem "The Night Before Christmas", which the kids always enjoyed. They all said the last line together, and by then, the kids were tired enough to get ready for bed and call it a night.

"That should be enough to get Santa to come." Kitty said. But before the kids could even think about getting ready for bed, they grabbed their presents and carried them upstairs to their rooms. Then they got their new stuff put away before they started to get ready for bed.

Once the children were ready for bed, they went straight to sleep. Dudley and Kitty got ready for bed, but they didn't go right to sleep like one would've expected. They stayed up for a while, talking and snuggling.

"Are you enjoying Christmas, Kitty?" Dudley asked as he held her close.

"Always." Kitty replied.

"Just wait until tomorrow. I got you some nice things that I hope are good enough as stocking stuffers." Dudley said.

"Like what? Jewelry, or perfume?" Kitty asked.

"I'm not telling. You're gonna have to wait until tomorrow." Dudley said.

"Aww..." Kitty pouted playfully.

So Dudley stroked her hair, which put her in a better mood because it made her purr.

"Feel better?" Dudley asked.

"When I'm with you, yes." Kitty said.

"I hope you like what I got you." Dudley said.

"I'm just hoping that your presents for me don't make me feel bad about the things I got you." Kitty said.

After a few more minutes, Dudley and Kitty fell asleep. They were still asleep when Santa came down the chimney and left presents for the family.

The next chapter will be Christmas Day! Stay tuned to find out just what will happen!


	9. Merry Christmas!

(A/N: Okay, apparently the story is going to be one chapter shorter than the original, but so far, we've noticed that there's more to it this time. Let's get going and see what our favorite family is up to!)

It was Christmas Day in the city of Petropolis. The snow was falling lightly, and it looked magical. Some kids had been awake before daylight, and they were happy to see that Santa had come. The bad guys that didn't reform were not surprised that Santa had skipped them. But I'm more concerned about Dudley and Kitty, so let's head on over to their house.

At Dudley and Kitty's, Summer was the first one to wake up. She noticed daylight streaming in through the window, so she knew that it was morning. It didn't take long for her to realize what day it was.

"_Oh my gosh! It's Christmas_!" Summer thought. She jumped out of bed and ran to Molly's bed, shaking her as she said, "Molly! Get up! Get up! It's Christmas!"

"What?! What's going on?" Molly asked as she awoke with a start.

"It's Christmas!" Summer told her.

"Oh, is that all?" Molly asked as she appeared to be dozing off again. But then she realized what Summer said, and she was fully awake!

"It's Christmas?" Molly asked.

"Yes!" Summer replied, nodding her head.

"Let's go tell George!" said Molly.

Both girls ran to their brother's room and threw the door open, which pretty much woke George right away.

"What is it?! Are we under attack?!" George asked, really startled.

"No, it's Christmas!" his sisters cheered.

"Christmas?! Let's go see what Santa brought!" George exclaimed.

So the three hurried downstairs to see what they would see. When they saw the tree, they gasped in shock!

The tree had more presents than they could count underneath it.

"Oh wow..." said Summer.

"Should we open them?" George asked.

"Not until Mom and Dad get up." Molly said.

"Let's go get them!" said George.

It was hard for the kids to tear their eyes away from the tree, but somehow they did, and they darted upstairs, making a beeline for Dudley and Kitty's bedroom.

Dudley and Kitty were awake, but they weren't out of bed yet. They were still under the covers, picking up from where they left off last night, kissing and snuggling.

"So, it's really Christmas?" Kitty asked.

"It sure is. Merry Christmas, Kitty." Dudley replied.

"Merry Christmas, Dudley." Kitty said, smiling at her husband with love.

All of a sudden, they heard some loud banging at their bedroom door, followed by the kids saying, "Mom! Dad! Get up! It's Christmas! You gotta come see what Santa brought!"

"Think we should get up now?" Dudley asked.

"They're giving us reason to." Kitty said as she and Dudley reluctantly stopped snuggling and went to the door.

"Did you guys take your showers yet?" Kitty asked as she opened the door to see the kids.

"I knew we'd forgotten something." Summer said.

"How about you guys hurry up and take your showers, and in the meantime, we'll get something ready for breakfast, okay?" Dudley said.

"Okay!" the kids said, and they quickly decided who would shower first.

Dudley and Kitty, meanwhile, went downstairs to get breakfast started.

"You remember what we suggested for Christmas breakfast, right?" Dudley asked Kitty.

"I didn't forget." Kitty said, producing the cinnamon rolls from the fridge. They were the kind you heat up in the oven.

They quickly grabbed the pan they made cinnamon rolls in and sprayed the pan before arranging the rolls in the pan while they preheated the oven. The oven was preheated by the time the first one to take their shower was done. The other two kids showered as the rolls baked.

By the time the kids had showered and gotten dressed for the day, the cinnamon rolls were ready. Kitty put the icing on the rolls while Dudley fixed some hot cocoa to drink with the rolls.

There were only 8 cinnamon rolls, so George, Molly, and Summer got 2 rolls each, and Dudley and Kitty each had one. They didn't mind; the kids were important to them, and they wanted the kids to be happy. Especially on a day like today.

After breakfast, the kids offered to do the dishes so their parents could take their shower. Dudley and Kitty were surprised, but they said, "Okay." And they went upstairs so they could take their shower.

When Dudley and Kitty got done, they told the kids they could open the presents in the stockings, and the ones from Santa. And they'd be getting more from relatives, but those wouldn't be coming until later.

So they opened the presents from Santa, as well as the stocking stuffers while they waited for Quacky's show to come on.

Everyone was satisfied, but not nearly as satisfied as Kitty when she opened the presents in her stocking. Dudley had given her some nice jewelry with emeralds (to bring out her eyes), and he also got her a bottle of perfume that she liked.

But Dudley was happy too. Kitty got him some nice cologne, and some soap-on-a-rope, which he liked a lot.

Dudley and Kitty also got each other gift cards for restaurants (they'd save one for Valentine's Day), and the kids even found gift cards for stores that sold toys and video games.

Santa gave the kids more toys, and Dudley and Kitty got some nice clothes.

Once all the presents were opened, the kids used the few minutes left before Quacky's show came on to put their things in their rooms.

Then it was time for Quacky's show, and he was doing another Christmas special.

"I guess our moms and siblings aren't gonna show up until after Quacky's show." Dudley said.

"That's usually how it is." Kitty said.

Shortly after Quacky's show, Summer looked outside and saw Bruce and Katrina's car pull up in the driveway.

"Mom! Dad! Uncle Bruce and Aunt Katrina are here!" Summer said. Then she saw Adam get out, and she said, "And Adam's here, too!"

"All right!" George and Molly cheered as the family got up and went to the door.

Sure enough, Bruce and Katrina were glad to see Dudley and Kitty greet them at the door. It was just as well, since they were carrying lots of gifts up to the house. Adam, too.

After Bruce, Katrina, and Adam placed their gifts under the tree, they greeted Dudley, Kitty, and the triplets.

"So, the moms aren't here yet?" Bruce asked.

"Not yet. But they should be here soon enough." Dudley said. Then he said, "And I gotta get the turkey stuffed and in the oven!"

"I'll preheat the oven and help you get it ready." Bruce said as he and Dudley made their way to the kitchen.

"So, did Santa bring you lots of nice stuff?" Katrina asked Kitty.

"Yes, but Dudley really surprised me. You've got to see the jewelry he got me." Kitty said.

"Oh, Brucie got me some nice jewelry too." Katrina said.

"What did you guys get?" Adam asked his cousins.

"Come to the den, and we'll show you the video games we got!" George said. So the kids went to the den.

A few minutes later, a knock at the door startled everyone, but Kitty got up and opened the door, seeing Peg, arms full of gifts.

"Merry Christmas, Kitty!" Peg greeted her daughter-in-law.

"Dudley! Bruce! Your mom's here!" Kitty called before telling Peg, "I'll take some of those for you." She took some of the gifts from Peg's arms and put them under the tree.

"Grandma!" the kids exclaimed, running to the living room to greet her.

"Merry Christmas, kids!" Peg said as she hugged them all at once.

"Merry Christmas, Grandma!" the kids replied as they hugged her.

"How are you kids liking Christmas so far?" Peg asked.

"It's been really good!" Adam said.

"Do you have more presents for us?" George asked.

"In the car." Peg replied.

"We could help you bring them in." Molly offered.

"I'd really appreciate the help." Peg smiled.

"You've got it!" Summer replied.

So the kids helped Peg bring in the rest of the gifts.

By the time they got done with that, Dudley and Bruce had finished stuffing the turkey and putting it in the oven.

"Mom!" Dudley said, happy to see his mom.

"Dudley! Bruce! How are my boys?" Peg asked as Dudley and Bruce came to greet her.

"I'm good." Bruce said.

"Me too. How about you?" Dudley asked.

"I'm fine. My grandkids just helped me bring in the presents." Peg said.

"That's great!" Bruce said as he and Dudley hugged their mom.

"Hi, Mom-in-law!" Katrina greeted Peg.

"And hello to you, too, Katrina!" Peg said, going over to see Katrina.

But that's when Mrs. Katswell's car pulled up outside.

"Hey! Grandma Katswell just pulled up!" Adam called.

"Mom's here!" Kitty said as she went out to see her mom and possibly help her out.

"Kitty! It's so good to see you!" Mrs. Katswell exclaimed when she saw her daughter come out.

"It's good to see you too, Mom. Do you need some help getting those presents out of the car?" Kitty asked.

"That'd be nice." said Mrs. Katswell.

"I'm coming to help, too!" Katrina said.

"Thanks, girls." Mrs. Katswell said as her daughters went outside to help her unload the car.

Once everyone was inside, they started sorting through the presents, handing them to their respective owners.

"I wonder what this is?" Dudley said as he picked up a present from his mom.

"You're gonna have to wait and see." Peg smiled.

After all the presents had been handed out, they decided the order. The kids went first, then the parents, and Peg and Mrs. Katswell agreed to go last.

The next hour consisted of everyone opening their presents, and everyone was happy. Peg and Mrs. Katswell knitted things like blankets, sweaters, and mittens for everyone.

After all the presents were opened, Dudley waded through the sea of wrapping paper to get a trash bag. When he came back, everyone helped throw away the wrapping paper. Once it was out of the way, they turned on the T.V. and looked for something to watch.

"Oh, look! "White Christmas" is on! Let's watch that!" Katrina said when Dudley was looking through the channels.

"We watched it on DVD just the other day, but there's nothing wrong with watching it again, because it's a good movie." Kitty said.

"Okay, all in favor of watching the movie, say 'aye'." Dudley said.

"Aye!" everyone said.

"All opposed?" Dudley asked.

The sound of a cricket chirping was heard.

"Okay, let's watch." Dudley said as he turned it to the channel the movie was on. After he did that, he got up to baste the turkey. He and Bruce had done that a few times when everyone was opening their presents, but they were good about waiting till they returned to continue.

When a commercial break came on, Kitty got up to set the table, and Katrina went to go help her. That was done by the time the movie came back on.

After the movie, Dudley and Kitty's children hurried to put their stuff away before making their way to the den. Adam joined them, and they played wintery levels of video games while the adults looked for something else to watch.

A few hours passed, and by then Dudley announced that the turkey was ready. He started carving it, and the rest of the adults got to work preparing the rest of the dinner.

In no time, the dinner was on the table, and Kitty and Katrina were pouring the drinks.

"Kids! Dinner's ready!" Dudley called.

It didn't take long for the kids to show up, 'cause they'd just wound up the controllers for the console they were playing on when he called.

"Wow! That was fast!" Dudley remarked.

"We'd just gotten done playing when you called." George replied as he and the others sat down.

Once everyone was seated, they started helping themselves to the food. The kids decided to fill their plates themselves this time.

As they ate, Bruce asked Dudley for permission to fix himself a couple of turkey sandwiches before his family went back home.

"You know I'm not gonna stop you." Dudley told his brother.

After everyone had a second helping of food, Kitty started on the dishes, and Katrina went to help her. The moms put the leftover food in the fridge. Dudley and Bruce went back to the living room to talk, and the kids went back to the den to play more wintery levels of their favorite video games.

About an hour later, everyone had enough time to digest, and so Dudley went to help Kitty bring out the pies. Everyone had a slice of pie, and they were really happy.

Now they didn't know what to do next. But then Kitty had an idea. She brought out her keyboard and started playing the Christmas songs she knew, and everyone sang the words to the songs she played.

When she finished played every song she knew, it was pretty dark out, and the lights had come on. But before they left, Bruce quickly made his way to the kitchen to fix himself some turkey sandwiches to take home.

In the meantime, the kids were helping Peg and Mrs. Katswell get their presents in their cars. Dudley and Kitty helped Katrina load up her and Bruce's car.

When Bruce got done fixing his sandwiches, he went to help everyone else load up the cars.

Once everything was loaded up, Peg, Mrs. Katswell, and Bruce's family got in their cars and drove home.

With nothing else to do, Dudley and Kitty decided it was about time to call it a night. The kids weren't ready to turn in yet, so they went to the den and played more video games.

"Don't stay up too late." Kitty said as she and Dudley passed by the den.

"We won't." the kids promised.

So Dudley and Kitty made their way up the stairs and got ready for bed. Once they were in their pajamas, they got under the covers and cuddled together.

"So Christmas is really over?" Dudley asked.

"Not until midnight, Dudley." Kitty replied.

"Well, since we've still got a few hours left, let's make the most of them." Dudley said.

He and Kitty spent the next few hours just cuddling and kissing each other, happy to be together.

A couple of hours later, the kids were tired and decided that it was a good time to go to bed, and they did.

But I heard them exclaim as they turned out the light, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

The End

Wow! This story really does have more than it did the first time around! I hope you enjoyed this story, and that your Christmas is as merry as the one Dudley and Kitty's family had!


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